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COMBINED FRUIT BASKET AND COVER.

Aug. 28, 1883.

Pate? AEEEEORNEYS.

linrrnn STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

JOHN WVESLEY EOOKAFELLOW, OE STOCKTON, AND PETER T. B. NEVIUS, OF FLEMINGTON, NEWV JERSEY; SAID NEVIUS ASSIGNOR TO GEORGIANA NEVIUS, OF FLEMINGTON, NEWV JERSEY.

COMBINED FRUIT-BASKET AND COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,064, dated August 28, 1883.

l f Application filed January .17, 1883. No model.) i

, diametrically opposite to the splint A.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN XV. ROCKAFEL- LOW, of Stockton, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey, and PETER T. B. NEVIUs, of Elemington, in the county of Hunterdon and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Combined Fruit-Bask et and Cover, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved fruitbasket in which the cover is made integral with the basket.

The invention consists in a basket made of splints projecting above the top ring thereof, and adapted to be folded over the top of the basket and to form the cover, and in certain combinationsand arrangements of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved fruitbasket, showing it open. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showing it closed.

The basket is made of splints or staves A, usually used in the manufacture of fruit-baskets, which splints are attached at their lower ends to the bottom B of the basket, or are bent to form the bottom. The top ring, 0, of the basket is placed against the inner surfaces of the splints,which project a little more than half the upper diameter of the basket above the top ring, 0, of the same, and each splint is fastened to the ring 0 by meansof a nail, a. A ring, D, is preferably passed around the bottom of the basket and fast ened to the same by means of nails d, driven through the said ring D and the lower ends of the splints into the edge of the bottom B. One splint, A, is made longer than the rest, the distance from the ring 0 to the end of the splint being a little greater than the upper diameter of the basket. A staple, E, made of sheet metal, or a cross-piece made of a splint, is attached to the outer side of the ring 0,

the basket is filled and it is to be closed, the projecting upper ends of the splints are bent over the top of the basket, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the free ends of the splints will be over the middle of the basket. The long splint A is then bent over the other splints, and its free end is bent down against the outer surface of the ring O and under the staple E. A pin or nail is then passed through an aperture in the staple and an aperture in the long splint A for the purpose of holding the same in place and to hold the basket closed. If desired, an outer ring can be passed and secured around the upper end of the basket. A wire, G, is passed through and around the Splints at about the middle of the height of the basket for the purpose of bracing, stiff ening, and strengthening the same. Then the basket is stored, the upper ends of the splints are bent upward, and one basket is placed in the other, so as to occupy very little space.

The abovedescribed basket is much cheaper than the baskets provided with separate covers, and it has the advantage that the cover cannot be lost or mislaid.

The baskets can be made in different sizes, for large or small fruit-for instance, peaches, cherries, strawberries, &C.

If desired, two splints A may be made longer than the rest, which splints are so arranged that when the basket is closed they cross each other.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. -A basket made substantially as herein shown and described,with the splints projecting above the top ring of the basket and adapt ed to be folded over the top of the basket to form a cover, as set forth.

2. A basket made with the splints project ing a little more than half the upper diameter of the basket above the top ring of the basket, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. A basket made with the splints project stantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose'set forth.

JOHN WESLEY ROCKAFELLOW. PETER T. B, NEVIUS;

Witnesses:

J. L. CONN-ET, READING HOPPOCK. 

